Julie Finn
Your plant marker will have three components: the base, the embellishments, and the wire wrap.
1. the base: The base of your plant marker can be nearly anything, natural or found: rocks, broken pottery or glass, wood, shells, jar lids, shapes cut from aluminum cans, etc.
For the marker in the picture to the left, I used a rock that my kids and I picked up while creek stomping one day. The label is cut from magazine pages, and the entire front is sealed with a waterproof sealant. I used a finding from a piece of broken jewelry for the hanging loop, attached to the rock with wrapped wire.
2. the embellishments: Embellishments include any plant labels, as well as all the fun stuff.
For the marker in the picture to the right, I used letter charms for the plant label, and a bead taken from a piece of broken jewelry for an embellishment. They’re attached to the broken pottery plant marker with wrapped wire, which also forms the hanging loop at the top.
3. the wire wrap: There are some really beautiful ways to wrap wire, if you’re familiar with jewelry making. If you’re not, however, then just wrap wire willy-nilly around your marker until it’s secure. I promise that it’ll look good.
For the marker in the picture to the left, I used craft wire that’s actually a little too thin and brittle for jewelry making, but is fine for a project like this. I crazy-wrapped it around a piece of broken pottery, then looped it around a fastener from a piece of broken jewelry to use as a hanging loop, and finally just twisted it around itself to secure it. I used jeweler’s glue and letter beads to put my kiddo’s name on the marker, so that everyone will know where her special garden plot is.
These plant markers should last several seasons, but you shouldn’t be afraid to make yourself more each year, anyway, because they’re really fun to do!
